Just Playmates
by xxHeadInTheStarsxx
Summary: It's Valentine's Day, and Nico & Grady accidentally made Chad angry. The 2 desperately ask Sonny to take Chad on a 'date' to distract him. She reluctantly agrees but soon finds herself slowly falling for Chad. This was not the plan. ChadSonny 3-shot.
1. I: Play Date

Just Playmates

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I. Play Date

--

It was Valentine's Day, and like every other Valentine's day, I had the splendid opportunity to spend it all alone.

Mark my sarcasm.

It's not like I've never had a boyfriend though. I've had my fair share of boyfriends. It's just…well…they all happen to break up with me before we even had the chance to celebrate the most romantic day of the year. I mean, I've been told that I have a poor taste in gentlemen. (But in my defense, the only gentlemen existing out there are already married or old.) They always are either jerks who don't know what a relationship is or are fakers who end up cheating on me.

Yeah -- I have _terrible _taste in boyfriends.

Oh, Valentine's Day. I hate you, did you know that? I also hate the fool who created this degrading day that makes single people around the world feel like they're nothing but worthless loners who don't know how to get one guy to stay committed.

…Or maybe that's just me.

Whatever. I still hate you, Valentine's.

I sighed dejectedly as I stared at the bundles of roses Tawni received from her current boyfriend, Derek. (Even if her relationships last even shorter than mine, at least this one was long enough to reach February 14th.) She was smiling giddily at them as she took the time to read each sweet card he wrote her. She nearly exploded with happiness when she finally found the ticket to Greece he hid in the middle.

"Isn't he just amazing, Sonny?" Tawni squealed in pure joy, hugging the ticket. "Derek is actually taking me to Greece for the weekend! How amazing is that?"

"Oh yeah. He's absolutely perfect." I forced myself to reply with a faux smile.

Tawni saw right through my façade unfortunately and gave me a stern look. "Okay, if you're not genuinely happy for me, then you just totally kill my mood, Sonny. What's wrong?" She asked reluctantly. The real Tawni Hart would ignore my transparent hate for Valentine's Day, but this one decided to care about my feelings for today. (That present must have expanded her heart.)

"It's just…I've never--"

"--Had a boyfriend?" Tawni smirked.

I glared at her. "No, I've had a few boyfriends before." I spat. "It's just…I never had the chance to spend Valentine's Day with anyone. All of my boyfriends are sweethearts at first, but then they turn into complete jerks who tend to dump me right before _this _day of all the other days in the year, like February 13th is also known as Dump Sonny Monroe Day." I whined.

"Ooh, that sucks." Tawni said, her rare sympathy pushing through her exterior. "You know what you should do? You should stuff yourself with chocolate and ice cream while watching soap operas -- that doesn't have to do with Chad Dylan Cooper, of course -- until you fall asleep. That's what the lonely girls do, right?"

I didn't have the guts to tell Tawni that that's what I already did. In the February of 2008, I even had every line of MacKenzie Falls memorized as harmful to my pride it was.

Pathetic, Sonny.

This was sad.

Before I even had the chance to say something else, Tawni burst out with fits of giggles. "Oh my God. You already _do _stuff your face with carbs and watch the stupid soap operas, don't you?" Tawni mocked me, trying to contain the rest of her laughter as best as she could.

"You make it sound like it's something to be ashamed of." I snapped, not caring how she even figured that out. Am I that easy to read?

"No, sweetie, it's not something to be _ashamed _of. That's way too much of a strong word. I'd go with embarrassed." Tawni laughed.

"Way to make me feel better." I muttered sarcastically.

Tawni subsided her laughter and took a deep breath, trying to regain her normal breathing rate. She sat down next to me and gave me an attempt of an apologetic look. "Sorry. It's just…well…I'm sort of surprised, I guess. Like, you're not ugly or anything. I don't understand why you don't have a boyfriend…and I find it pretty hilarious to be honest -- but you're feeling sad, so I won't laugh at you right now."

I sighed.

Well at least she's trying to be nice, right?

"And now, it's like every guy I come across with are either idiots that you do not want to date--" I started.

"_G, where is the horse?! I thought you said you had the horse!" _Tawni and I heard Nico yell frantically.

"_I lost it, okay? I'm sorry! It just started galloping away! It's not like I could have caught up to it!" _Grady replied with repeating apologies following after.

"--or they're just plain jerks." I finished.

"_What was this horrendous animal doing in my set?!" _

I rolled my eyes to hear Chad Dylan Cooper yelling heatedly at Nico and Grady, followed by a frustrated neigh from a poor horse.

"Speaking of jerks," I shook my head.

"And don't forget idiots." Tawni chirped. "I mean, who brings a horse to the studio?" She scoffed.

"C'mon, let's go help them out before Chad finds a way to cancel our show." I suggested, heading towards the door.

I stepped out into the hallway to see the three boys arguing as I expected. Oh and there was a dark brown horse that was subtly making its way down another hall -- not that I bothered to ask about it, anyway. Nico and Grady brought one to work. Enough said. I didn't have the time to warn my friends, though, before Chad spotted me in the corner of his eye.

"Monroe, tell your _friends_ to stop messing around at my set." Chad seethed, clearly not pleased with what just happened.

I stared at his attire and began to laugh uncontrollably. "Oh my God, is that--"

"Yes, that freak of nature thought I was some sort of bathroom. No need to rub it in." Chad glared at me as he tried to wipe away the, erm, _brown _stains on his blazer with multiple napkins.

"What do you know? That horse was smarter than we thought." Grady chuckled.

"I wouldn't be laughing since I can totally tell Mr. Condor what you guys have been up to and have you fired, or even better, have your show completely removed." Chad threatened.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. There's no need to raise your temper, Chip." Nico attempted to soothe the furious blonde. "It was an accident. Having us fired is absolutely unnecessary." He tried to change Chad's mind.

"Yeah, well let's ask Mr. Condor about that." Chad sneered. "I am _pissed. _First, my cast showed up late for rehearsals, then my assistant brought me the wrong set of combs, my ex-girlfriend was trying to make me feel guilty by bawling her eyes out in front of me today because I broke up with her last night -- which annoyed me instead of made me feel bad, and to make this day even worse, a freaking horse crapped on me, a horse that happens to be owned by you two idiots."

I didn't allow Nico and Grady to further apologize when something in me just snapped. I felt enraged as Chad's words fully registered in my head. Was it the feeling of a shattered dream or were my eyes just opened?

I don't know, but I'm sure that right now I am absolutely angry with Chad Dylan Cooper.

"You broke up with your girlfriend the night before Valentine's Day?!" I exclaimed, immediately smacking Chad's arm with my hand.

"Jeez, Monroe, there's no need to hit me." He said, rubbing his arm tenderly. "And why do you care?"

"You're not supposed to break up with your girlfriend on February 13th! It's, like, against the law! That's just as bad as breaking up with her today!" I stomped my foot.

Chad gave me a bizarre look, as if he thought I should be placed in some sort of mental institution.

Maybe he is right, and I shouldn't care about his love life.

But really, the only reason why I do care is because guys like _him _are the reason I hate Valentine's Day so much.

The bane of my existence.

The douche who ruins a perfectly nice holiday.

Prick.

"What law?" Chad asked sarcastically with an eye roll.

"You -- you -- ah!" I left the hallway, steam following my path.

--

"Sonny!" I looked up to see Nico and Grady running towards me in a hurry. They looked out of breath, exhausted, and downright worried. "We need your help." They pleaded simultaneously.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Well…" Grady started. He gave Nico an unsure look while Nico returned it with a desperate one.

"We need you to distract Chad." Nico finished, knowing that his best friend couldn't find it himself to continue on. Heck, Nico didn't even want to admit it either.

"And why would I need to distract Chad?" I asked, cringing as I said his name.

"Because…well…he wasn't joking when he said that he was going to try and fire us." Nico replied weakly. "And he won't forgive us even after we forced ourselves to apologize. And…you're the only one we know who could get Chad's mind off of anything. He's, like, addicted to you or something."

"Chad? _Addicted?_ To me?! HAHA!" I laughed uncontrollably, ignoring Nico and Grady's knowing looks.

"Whatever." Nico rolled his eyes. "Addicted, irritated, in love -- we just need you to get him out, so Grady and I could return the horse, and Chaddy-boy will end up forgetting about this whole day. Then Grady and I are safe and will not get fired or get So Random! canceled."

"Back up. Did you say _in love_?" I asked incredulously.

"Sonny, don't dwell on your denial because no offense, but we could care less about your girly issues with Chad. Just make sure that you distract him long enough by taking him out on some sort of Valentine's date." Grady smiled warmly.

"What?!" I almost screamed.

"Go along now. Chad is waiting." The two boys pushed me out of my dressing room.

It was all like a blur.

But somehow, I ended up walking towards Chad's set and knocking on his dressing room door.

And asking him out on a date.

Why, why, why, WHY?!

"Um…hi, Chad." I greeted him shyly, something that I was most definitely not used to. The bursts of energy and optimism were kept deep within me as my knees buckled and the palm of my hands sweated. I was close to shaking entirely. I, Sonny Monroe, was actually _nervous _about this.

I shall repeat: PA-THE-TIC.

"Sonny," Chad nodded his head in acknowledgement, leaning against the doorframe of his dressing room. He looked down at me as he folded his arms against his chest, waiting for the reason of my arrival.

"Well, I was just around the, erm, building, ya know, and I was wondering if we could, err, hang out today?" I stuttered questioningly.

Well, it wasn't necessarily asking him out…

…But Chad managed to hear the true meaning behind the words.

(Blondes aren't as stupid as people categorize them to be.)

"Oh, so you want to go out with me on a date?" He asked, his facial expression brightening.

"Chad, the word _date _is just too much of a strong word, isn't it? Dating are for girlfriends and boyfriends. And we're just…friends who argue on a day-to-day basis. I think hanging out, or even play date, is more appropriate!" I smiled. I immediately began to flush red as Chad bit his lip in order to refrain his laughter, causing me to realize the words that just left my mouth.

Play date? Did I just say _play date_?

Oh, Nico and Grady owe me big time. Nothing is worth this humiliation.

"Uh-huh." Chad's eyes continued to shine with nothing but amusement. He gave me an unbelievable look as his smirk widened. "Okay, I'll pick you up at your set in about thirty minutes, _playmate_." He winked.

And Chad surprised me by kissing my cheek before closing his dressing room door behind himself.

As my face continued to redden and redden by the moment, all my thoughts were concentrated on how to guilt trip Nico and Grady into being my slaves for the rest of their lives (because after what just happened, they practically owe me their lives) -- and ignoring the flapping butterflies and warmth in the pit of my stomach.

--

"He KISSED you?!" Tawni gasped, her eyes widening in shock. "Oh my God!" She squealed, clapping her hands. "I knew you guys were going to get together! Sure, you can do better since it's _Chad _of all people -- but still! That's so adorable!"

"Adorable?! He kissed my cheek! His lips touched my skin! Explain to me how that's adorable!" I demanded.

"Well the fact that you guys like each other--"

I didn't get the chance to interrupt Tawni (and yell at her for accusing Chad and me of liking each other) when a knock on our door did the job for me. The person behind the door did not bother to wait for Tawni and me, for it opened itself to reveal the conceited, blonde heartthrob that I had to distract for the day.

"Hey there, Sonny." Chad smiled, walking in with his famous smirk and -- you'll never believe it -- a bouquet of flowers. "For my lady." He grinned, handing them to me.

For the third time today, Chad Dylan Cooper made me blush.

I accepted the flowers. "Thank you." I smiled gratefully.

"Ugh, I'm, like, torn between being grossed out and being happy for you, Sonny." Tawni huffed, folding her arms. "It's sooo not fair! Why did you have to pick Chad out of all the other guys in the world?"

Chad rolled his eyes at Tawni's bluntness. "Thank you for your opinion, Tawni. Not that anybody cared about it though."

Tawni glared at him. "You know, I was really close to calling you guys cute instead of yucky, but now you can just forget it!" She flipped her hair overdramatically before making her way out of the dressing room, her heels clacking for a better affect.

I gave Chad an awkward look as his eyes traveled back onto me so that we were straight into each other's pupils. I felt my knees growing weak again, feeling like I'm really melting, while I admired his gorgeous blue eyes. Whoa, did you know Chad's eyes are a deeper shade of blue under this lighting? It's so pretty… Ah, snap out of it, Sonny!

"Let's go." Chad offered me his arm like the gentleman he was proving to be.

Proving at least. He can _act _like one, I could give him that, but is he actually one? I doubt it.

But then again, Chad never fails to surprise me. Some days he's a jerk who deserves to die in a hole (and I speak on behalf of the people whose lives he made miserable that day), and then other days when his eyes sparkle, glimmer, shine and whatnot…

I seriously need to stop thinking about him in a lighter view. I think I'm going to take a very long bath then an even longer nap after this date to clear my mind.

Chad Dylan Cooper: three words that could complicate a girl's mind more than math. Curse you, Chad.

Nevertheless, I accepted Chad's arm and allowed him to lead me out of the studio. With each step I took with his arm linked alongside mine, I felt my dignity being left behind me and my heart being stolen.

Oh no.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey there, peoples :) Here's a new Chad/Sonny fic for all of you lovers in the world. And it's in honor of Valentine's Day (clearly). It's not a long multi-chapter story though. More like a two -- three -- four being the most -- shot. As you can see, (well...maybe you can't) my laptop got screwed up, and my normal Microsoft Word got deleted. So now I have a crappy replacement that doesn't even have spelling/grammar check. Yay me. But life goes on (especially since I'm getting the MacBook Pro for my grad present! I'm excited!) This is rated T for language. Nothing bad, children :P


	2. II: Play Pretend

Just Playmates

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II. Play Pretend

--

"So…erm…where exactly are we going?" I asked Chad. As much as I tried to hide the unnerving tone in my voice, it just couldn't be done. I was the perfect definition of timidity right now, and both Chad and I knew it.

"Wait and see." Chad smiled comfortingly.

To my surprise, he didn't take this opportunity to tease me. He didn't laugh at me as his eyes shined in amusement. Nope. Instead, he turned the radio on and rolled the windows down, welcoming the California's ocean breeze. One of his hands was on the wheel and another was placed slightly away from my hand. I could see it inching towards mine then getting pulled back abruptly every time he almost touched me. I pretended not to notice as I watched from the corner of my eye, wondering what in the world he was doing. Wait -- was he trying to hold my hand?

My stomach felt flutters again, and I silently groaned to myself. Stupid, stupid butterflies. The dang things just won't leave alone today, will they?

After watching Chad reach for my hand then retreating back for the umpteenth time, I grabbed a hold of his hand for him so he would finally stop going back and forth. I intertwined my fingers within his, causing the butterflies within me to practically explode. At the same time, I felt Chad's tense body relax as he held my hand back, continuing to drive as if nothing had happened. Was it me, or was his smile just a little bit too big?

Chad parked his car in an open space, as if it was reserved for him, in front of the most expensive restaurant Malibu had to offer.

"Oh my God." I whispered. "Chad, this place is _much _too pricey--"

"It's nothing." Chad shrugged.

"No, a plate costs, like, three hundred bucks each!"

"Sonny, it's Valentine's Day. I'm your date. Now _let _me be your date." He spoke to me slowly like I was some sort of special child, a hint if irritation thrown into his tone.

I huffed indignantly and reluctantly allowed him to take me to the restaurant that could have gotten me bankrupt if I ever ate there myself.

I glared at him as he opened the door for me and helped me out of his car. He had the nerve to treat me like a daisy. As much as this continuous feeling of annoyance is, well, _annoying_, it's much better than those stupid butterflies that wouldn't leave me alone for the majority of the ride.

Chad gave me a look that made me regret my actions. "If you be good, I'll let you hold my hand again." He smirked at me.

"What?! You're the one who kept on desperately reaching out for my hand!" I exclaimed.

"You have no real proof of that, but I know for a fact that you're the one who practically grabbed mine and pulled my arm out of my socket." Chad grinned.

"Gah." I growled, annoyed.

Chad chuckled as we walked towards the restaurant, opening the door for me. "Ladies first."

It took all of my willpower not to kick him in the shin, grab his car keys while he's down, and drive off.

Chad and I entered inside to see a few other celebrities inside eating nonchalantly while others stared at us with awe. We were led into a private booth in a separate room to my surprise. Wait, no, surprise is an understatement because the next part threw me off my feet. Candles were lit, a single rose was placed in a watered vase, a basket of breadsticks was leaning against the wall, and a waiter was waiting patiently for us with a smile. The whole thing made me think that Chad overdone it just a little…not that I'm complaining.

"Wow, Chad," I gasped as he pulled the chair out for me before sitting down himself.

(Seriously, when did Cooper attain manners and how to be romantic?)

"I know, right?" Chad smiled to himself, impressed with what his money managed to create.

Ah. And there's the conceitedness. For a minute, I thought it was gone.

"But really, you didn't have to go through so much trouble for me just for one day." I gushed.

"And what if I did want to go through so much trouble _just for you_?" Chad smiled at me, dare I say it, timidly.

I began to giggle the snort embarrassedly. You heard right. I _giggled_. Then I _snorted. _

FML.

I cleared my throat awkwardly as I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I sneaked a glance at Chad. He gave me that signature smirk of his, those deep, blue eyes sparkling with laughter.

"Cute." He whispered to himself.

"Did you say something?" I asked.

"What? No."

"So what's good to eat?" I asked, picking up the menu. I opened it to find that I had never heard of any of these meals listed in this menu. Everything was in Italian! The only thing Italian I knew was spaghetti, and this place doesn't even serve it! Oh jeez.

"What's wrong? You look…lost." Chad chuckled, setting his menu aside.

I faked a smile at him. "Um, so what are you ordering?" I asked him sweetly, ignoring his question.

"I think I'm going to have the Rosti. No, wait, I'll have the Raclette. Hmm. Yeah, I'll just have the Rosti." He grinned at me.

"Uh. Yeah. I'll have the…erm…Rakleet."

"You mean the Raclette?"

"Yeah! That!"

The waiter wrote our orders down before handing us two glasses of water then leaving. I spun the straw in my water absentmindedly as the awkward silence followed. Chad was glancing around every corner, fidgeting with the napkin in front of him. And if I can recall, things has never been this quiet between Chad and me. This was…well…_awkward_. Way too awkward for my liking.

"So, Chad," I smiled.

"So, Sonny," Chad mimicked.

"I was just wondering: why did you take me to this restaurant out of all the others? I would have been satisfied if you just took me for a walk in the park or something." I shrugged.

"Maybe I just wanted to see that confused look on your face when you tried to translate the Italian foods." Chad grinned cockily.

I narrowed my eyes at him and threw a breadstick at his head.

"Hey," Chad whined, throwing the breadstick back.

"Well you deserved that." I retorted.

"Even after going through such hard work for you?" Chad gasped, feigning offense. I rolled my eyes and folded my arms irritably, leaning back against my chair. "Hey, remember, you're the one who asked me out in the first place." Chad scoffed merrily.

My eyes lit up in realization. "Yes, you're right. I _did _ask you out." I smirked. "Which is why I should be the one to choose where our date is located, right?"

"What? You've got to be kidding me. We just ordered our food, and I'm starving." Chad stated.

"C'mon, Chad. Let's go out: Sonny Monroe style!"

"Um, how about no." Chad raised an eyebrow at me, giving me that rare, serious look of his that read, 'Don't push it, Monroe.'

"Why not? I mean, it's Valentine's Day, and you and I both know that if we spend another five minutes in here, we might begin to cry of boredom." I pushed him.

"Sonny…"

"_Chad…_" I imitated him like he did to me before, a winning smile on my face.

"Ugh. Fine. I'll go with you." Chad sighed in defeat.

"Yay." I clapped my hands.

Hey, I'm forced to have a date with America's teen jerkthrob. I might as well have fun, right?

I pushed out of my seat before grabbing Chad's hands and dragging him out of his chair. We ran through the waiters, nearly knocking a handful of them down, until we reached the front door. I grabbed Chad's keys from his pocket, making him sit on the passenger seat unwillingly while I hopped into the front seat.

"I can't believe you're making me do this." Chad glared.

"I can't believe you didn't complain too much about me being in the driver's seat of your baby." I replied smoothly as I started the car.

"Do you even have your driver's license?" Chad asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I got it last week." I smiled innocently, beginning to back the car up.

"Oh my God." Chad breathed slowly, trying to calm himself down.

"Have in little faith in me." I nudged his shoulder as I got onto the road.

"Sonny, if you get even the smallest scratch on my car--"

"Relax, Cooper. It's Valentine's Day. Let us have our d--" I couldn't find myself to say it, so I blurted out the first word that came to my mind. "--play date."

Oh dear God, not this word again!

I tried not to cringe as I felt Chad easing. He was _shaking _this time, trying not to laugh again. And yet, no avail. Chad broke into laughter almost instantly. "You really are a kid, aren't you?" He smirked tauntingly at me.

"I'm not that young." I snapped back.

"Could have fooled me. Seriously. What teenager in their right mind still calls, well, whatever _this _is, a 'plate date'?" He asked.

"Well what would you call it?" I muttered in annoyance.

"I'd call it a date." Chad admitted fearlessly.

"Just because it's Valentine's Day and I asked you to hang out with me doesn't mean that we're on a date!" I exclaimed.

Chad merely smiled at me, knowing the lies behind my words. "Okay. Sure." He responded sarcastically.

I inhaled a deep and steady breath, turning onto another road unfamiliar to Chad and me, but apparently my mind was going haywire for me to notice.

'_Okay, Sonny, don't let him get to you. You're doing this to help Nico and Grady. You're doing this for your friends. You're going on a play date -- I mean date -- I mean a hang out! Gah. Okay, don't get frustrated. You're only hanging out with Chad today, on Valentine's Day, also known as the day you despise the most; and you're hanging out with the person you can't stand at the same time! Oh my -- ah! You're hanging out with him to save Nico and Grady's butts, alright?!' _

I practically had a headache after my mental disagreement.

"Wanna tell me where we're heading?" Chad said as he looked at the small town we've entered.

"Um…" I started.

I couldn't recognize a thing. The town. The streets. The scenery. Where are we, really?

"You'd get mad at me if I said no, wouldn't you?" I bit my lip.

"You're dead to me, Monroe." Chad glowered furiously at me.

"It was an honest mistake!"

"You got us lost!"

"You're making it sound like it's my fault!"

"Because you're the one who took the wrong turn!"

"You're the one who let me drive your car!"

"It's not like you would have given me my keys back if I asked for them!"

"Well it's your fault for taking me to the most boring restaurant in all of California!"

"It's your fault for begging me to leave the most boring restaurant in all of California!"

"Ha! So you do admit that it _was_ a boring place!"

"Really, Sonny?! _Really?!_"

I stopped the car and parked it against a curb. "Look, arguing is not going to help our situation."

"So then tell me: what will?" Chad asked rhetorically.

I caught my hand from slapping him right there, right now.

I sighed and covered my face, worn out by all means. "I don't know. Maybe we could ask for directions back to Hollywood?"

"Pfft, yeah, if these people even know how to direct properly."

I smacked Chad's arm. "Don't insult those you don't even know!"

"Yeah, you're right." Chad frowned, almost looking regretful. "They can probably give better directions than you can navigate." He then added.

"I'm going to forgive you for that because we really need to get home. My mom might be worrying about me now." I said as I hopped out of the car, not even bothering to make eye contact with him.

Chad followed suit and stood next to me, both of us leaning against his convertible. "What now?" He asked.

I looked to my left to see that a small beach was right besides us along with a groups of teenagers playing in the sand. "Come on, there's people over there. They might be able to tell us the way back to Hollywood." I said, grabbing his hand.

I felt him intertwining our fingers again, and those dang butterflies spurred up in me once more. I ignored them, mentally begging them to leave me alone for once. Just the way I ignored how Chad is still not letting go of my hand (and the fact that I'm secretly enjoying it).

Chad and I made our way to the beach. I slipped out of his grasp as we neared the group of teens, some sitting on chairs, others in the water. Even if we were on a 'date,' I don't want people to think that we're actually dat_ing_. I glanced at Chad, nudging him to speak up first as the teens gave us confusing looks that pretty much said, WTF.

"Uh, hi. Yeah, my, erm, acquaintance and I are lost." I said, knowing that Chad didn't take the hint.

"Acquaintance? You really only see us as acquaintances, Sonny?" Chad asked incredulously, and if not, then as if he was appalled.

"Oh my God. You're Sonny Monroe and Chad Dylan Cooper!" A girl squealed. "I'm, like, one of the biggest Channy fans!"

Chad and I almost burst out laughing once those words left her mouth.

That and I was close to hurling.

Ew. Channy.

Our couple name sucks.

Even though we're most definitely not a couple and will not be a couple.

"As sweet as that sounds, and we are quite flattered, we are not a couple." I laughed weakly.

"Not according to the internet or E! news. You guys are _sooo _dating." The girl protested.

"And also not according to Sonny's dreams and hopes. Deep down she loves me." Chad smirked, earning himself a glare from me.

"He's kidding." I smiled at the girl, reminding myself to dump sand into Chad's pants later on.

"He is? So he's single?" The girl's friend asked flirtatiously.

I dismissed the butterflies, the warmth in my stomach, and the giggles I kept in as Chad held my hand and muttered sweet things to me. Yeah, I could ignore that. But the sudden urge to wring her throat out was something I could definitely not ignore.

"Listen, we just wanna go home." I said before Chad could flirt back. "Do you guys have any idea how to get back to Hollywood?"

"Why don't you ask Aaron and Nathan? They're the ones who actually can read a map." The first girl said, pointing at two boys whom were surfing out in the ocean.

"Oh no. This outfit costs two hundred and--" Chad began.

"Thank you!" I smiled at the girl before subtly giving her friend the evil eye. "Let's go, Chad." I said, grabbing a his ear and leading him into the ocean as he continued with his petty whines about his attire, hair, skin, and welfare.

"If I drown, it's under your conscience!" He shrieked as our feet finally touched the salty water.

Jeez, it's like he's never even been to the ocean before. His house is located _right next _to it for God's sake.

"Seriously, my lawyers won't have it if the star of America's hottest tween TV show dies! We shouldn't have went here in the first place! I can't believe you got us lost!"

"Will you just shut up?!" I lost it. He hit my final nerve, and now I've lost it. "You've done nothing but made this more difficult than it already had to be! You know, if you'd just shut up for one second then maybe we'd actually be on our way home! But nooo. You keep on blabbing about yourself as if you own the world--"

"Sonny, look out for that wave…" Chad warned wearily.

"What wave?!" I practically screamed at him.

But it was too late. I lost my balance and fell into the ocean, drenching my whole entire body.

I sat in the water, actually feeling despair run through me. I was pathetic, more pathetic than I was before. I felt like tears were going to fall from my eyes and not because I blinked under salt water.

Chad sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry." He mumbled.

"What?" I asked him, not knowing if I heard right.

"I said that I was sorry. You're right, I guess. I've been nothing but dead weight this whole entire time. And so I'm sorry." Chad apologized meekly, extending his hand to pull me up.

I smiled at him and took his hand.

I didn't stand, though, until I pulled him down with me.

Chad got buried underneath the water for a second, his hair to his shoes completely wet. He was spitting out water nastily as he sat next to me, shaking his hair wildly. "Okay, I deserved that. But my hair totally didn't. Sonny, we're in salt water! Do you have any idea how much it could damage my hair?"

"Oh stop being a baby." I laughed, splashing him slightly.

"Fine, then you better promise you won't cry if I do this."

"Chad, what are you doing--" He dove into the ocean before pulling me down with him for a moment. When we surfaced I yelled, "CHAD!" as I gasped for air. "Oh you're so getting it!" I giggled. I pushed his head into the water. Dunking a boy underneath the ocean, especially if that boy is Chad Dylan Cooper, has never felt so satisfying before.

I squealed as he grabbed my wrists and pried me off of him. We tangled our legs together, trying to break loose as our hands stayed in lock, like we were having some sort of chicken fight. I couldn't help but laugh throughout the whole thing either. And the best part was that Chad was laughing alongside as well.

"You're so immature." Chad grinned after we finally gave up and decided it was a draw.

"I'm immature?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "You're the one who pulled me into the water headfirst."

"Hey, you're the one who tricked me again by dragging me down with you when I actually was nice enough to offer you up." Chad smirked in return.

"You gotta admit that it was funny though." I smiled.

I was taken by surprise when I felt Chad wrap an arm around my shoulders. "Yeah. Just hilarious." He said gently into my ear. And he wasn't even being sarcastic.

I turned my head slightly so that our faces were right besides each other. I could see him leaning in and his eyes closing. The scariest part was that I could feel myself inching closer and my eyes shutting as well.

"Hey, watch out!" A voice called frantically, interrupting what could have been the best moment of my life. Or my biggest mistake.

Chad grabbed my arm and stood up swiftly, pulling me out of the way before a teenage boy on a surfboard could have hit us.

"Oh my God, are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah. Peachy." The boy groaned. "Oh shit." He mumbled, seeing that his board broke in two.

I looked up at Chad embarrassedly, knowing that we were so close to kissing. Our lips almost made contact with each other -- _willingly_. But while I was feeling pretty much vulnerable and having yet another mental freak out, Chad, on the other hand, looked more annoyed than he was the whole entire day. "Stupid kid." He muttered to himself. "I was so freaking close and he had to come along and ruin it."

"Um, hi," I spoke to the boy first. The boy looked up at me, his board in his hands. "I was just wondering if you're either Aaron or Nathan." I said, remembering what that girl back at the beach informed us.

"Yeah, I'm Aaron." The boy nodded, staring at his board with nothing but devastation.

"Well, I was just wondering if you happened to know the way back to Hollywood. You see, my friend and I are lost, and clearly we don't know the way back." I explained.

"Oh, so I'm your friend now?" Chad smiled cheekily.

"Wait a sec. Aren't you guys from those two TV shows?" Aaron asked as his eyes widened. "Yeah, you're the two my girlfriend obsesses over!"

"That's a bit disturbing." Chad made a face.

"We just really want to know the way back to Hollywood." I pleaded.

"Not until I get a picture!"

Chad and I turned around to see the same girl, only this time she was holding her camera.

Once we got the directions from Aaron after what seemed like millions of pictures, Chad and I finally returned home by 7:00 pm with the moon already lit up high in the sky with the stars shining all around it. Chad offered to drive me home, and since I didn't have a car _yet_, I allowed him to.

It was like high school all over again when you, the new girl at school manages to get the hot senior guy to take you home in his awesome car after a date … or something like that.

As we sat in the car, nearing my home, I felt Chad's hand reaching out for mine bravely, taking the initiative to hold my hand without my help. I felt myself blushing immensely this time. I was as giddy as ever, and for the first time, I wasn't ashamed of it.

"You know, Monroe, today wasn't as bad as I expected." Chad admitted.

"Well, what can I say? I make a wondeful date." I joked.

"Hey, Sonny," Chad muttered nervously as he parked the car.

"Yeah?"

"Is it alright if I do something…"

"Do what--"

I closed my eyes to feel Chad's lips on mine, kissing me gently. Speechless, I was speechless. No words could explain this moment.

And people say that you'll never get to taste perfection.

To those people, 'In your face. I just kissed perfection so HA!'

We pulled away from our chaste kiss. I was turning into a tomato while Chad gave me that love stricken look I'm admiring right now.

"I'll walk you to your door." Chad said, stepping out of the car and opening my door for me again.

"Good because I'm letting you." I flashed him a small smile.

He held my hand as we walked into the building, and he's still holding my hand as I breathe this very moment.

"We should do this again some time." Chad said as he walked me up to my condo.

"Yeah, we should." I grinned. "I'm glad that I even had to ask you out in the first place."

Chad's eyes furrowed. "What do you mean you _had to _ask me?" He demanded.

Oh shoot.

"I-it's not like that! I mean, n-no, well, it was in the beginning, b-but--" I stuttered pathetically, trying to find the right answer to this without revealing too much.

But why must the right answer be the one thing he didn't want to hear?

"Sonny, did someone _ask _you to go out with me today?" Chad asked, folding his arms.

I sighed and stared down at my shoes, my bangs falling across my eyes. "Yes." I mumbled reluctantly.

"Wow. Just wow. And here I thought you actually liked me."

"Chad, I do like you. I really, really do." I insisted.

"I can't believe I wasted the best day of my life on you." He rolled his eyes, stabbing my heart harder than anything before.

With that, he left me standing in front of my door without another word.

* * *

**A/N: **Please forgive me for making this chapter really corny & cheesy in the middle. I just couldn't help myself :P I know that Valentine's Day just passed by, but I would have gotten this chapter in on Feb. 14th. It's I had guests and blah, blah, blah. Bottom line: I was too busy. And I know that parts sound like it came from StarStruck, (Which, by the way, was TOTALLY FREAKING AMAZING. Sterling Knight, I love you sooo much.) but in my defense, I had this story line in my head a week before the movie aired :)


	3. III: Play No More

Just Playmates

--

III. Play No More

--

[Sonny's POV]

It was February fifteenth, and I was locked in Tawni and my dressing room while everyone was out at the cafeteria, getting themselves lunch. Complete and utter silence. All I did was sit on the couch and stare absentmindedly at the plain ceiling, thinking, simply thinking. What emotion could possibly run through me besides regret and guilt?

This is when realization hit me: I finally spent Valentine's Day with someone, someone who happened to be the kind of guy who would dump his girlfriend the day before shamelessly, the type of guy who makes me loathe February fourteenth entirely mind you, and yet I had what should have been the best day of my life.

Only, I was the one who messed it up.

Oh, I messed it up big time.

I slapped my forehead before groaning inwardly.

You're such an idiot, Sonny.

Yes, Sonny, I did know that.

Did you know that speaking to yourself was a sign of one of those mental disorders…

"Sonny, you better open the freaking door or else!" Tawni growled behind her door, banging against it with her fist.

"I want to be alone." I whined, pulling a pillow over my face.

"Oh stop being pathetic and just open the door." Tawni scoffed.

I sighed. It's not like I was surprised at Tawni's sudden change of behavior. Her kindness only comes out perhaps once a month or so.

To prevent a Tawni Hart Rampage, I opened the door reluctantly to the blonde's satisfaction before trudging back to the couch and rejoining my butt and the cushion. My eyes averted back to the ceiling as I continued to think about how much I screwed yesterday up. --_Why couldn't you just shut your big mouth, Sonny?! _

From the corner of my eye, I saw Tawni glaring at me with her hands on her hips. "Now you better tell me what Chad did, so I can yell at him for doing so, make him regret whatever he managed to jack up, and so you can be all happy and cheery again."

…But Chad did nothing. Absolutely _nothing_.

I just couldn't find it in me to admit it openly.

Tawni, being the smarter person than she portrays, gave me a softer look. "What happened?" She asked.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words formed. I bit my lip and turned my head to look at her. I gave her probably the most vulnerable expression ever because Tawni Hart actually gave me a look that read she was sorry for me.

"Sonny, you can tell me anything. And I swear I'm not going to judge or make fun of you." Tawni promised as she sat next to me on our couch.

I took in a deep breath and finally told her the story.

The whole story.

From Nico and Grady begging me to take Chad out on Valentine's Day to Chad leaving me at the front of my door, both of us heartbroken.

"Wow. You…wow." Tawni breathed out. "Girl, you really messed things up."

I furrowed my eyebrows at her. "And how does stating the obvious help?" I asked, giving her an irritated look.

"Well sorry! I'm not good at this comforting thing!" Tawni defended herself as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Ugh. I'm going." I grumbled. I stood up and stomped towards the door, ready to swing it open and slam it behind me, when Nico and Grady barged in before I could even touch the handle.

"Sonny!" They cheered merrily, sandwiching me in a hug.

"Uh, hey." I greeted them awkwardly as I gave them both odd looks.

"You are a lifesaver!" Nico exclaimed.

"Yeah, thanks to you, Chad didn't even look at us at the commissary! You made him totally forget!" Grady smiled.

Oh the cruel irony.

Ever been in that position where you're torn between smacking two of your good friends silly until they end up in the hospital or bursting into tears because of how terrible you're just feeling? Tell me if you have because I wouldn't be able to believe you. I salute you for living through that excruciating moment, solider.

"You guys are _morons_." Tawni gritted her teeth, pulling me away from Nico and Grady's grasp so that she was hugging me protectively.

I guess I chose the latter while I was being squeezed the life out of those two. Oh yes. _I did._ I, Sonny Monroe, was literally near tears because of Chad Dylan No-One-Gives-A-Crap-Except-For-Me-Unfortunately Cooper. I could feel my insides crumpling and my eyes watering as my breaths grew more shallow. I couldn't believe I felt like crying because of him, and yet, I could feel my eyes watering.

"What's wrong?" Nico asked.

"Yeah, Sonny, why are you crying?" Grady followed.

The two gave me a genuine look of worry.

"I'm not crying! Psh!" I responded stubbornly, rubbing my eyes just in case a tear managed to fall. "Nope! I'm just… just… I'm not crying!" I stuttered.

"Sonny--" Tawni began.

"I-I gotta go to the, uh, bathroom." I lied quickly, racing out of the dressing room before the three could say anything else.

I ran down the hallway, eventually heading out of stage three and into the unknown places of Condor Studios where I practically got lost. I needed to be away. Far away. I just needed to separate myself from them, their attempts to console me, their ignorant ways, and anything that reminded me of Chad Dylan--

"Ow! You little -- Oh, it's just you." Chad deadpanned as he glared down at me.

"C-Chad." I choked on his name.

He rolled his eyes and began to walk the other direction. I guess he had the same intention in his mind: to be far away from me as well.

"Chad! Wait!" I pleaded.

As I ran up to catch up with him, all I could think (scream would be the more appropriate word, actually) in my head was, 'Why the heck are you doing this?! Don't talk to him! Don't even make eye-contact with him! Leave before it's too late!' But despite what my brain was ordering me, I grabbed Chad's shoulder and whirled him around so that he was facing me.

"What?" He asked. He has never looked so upset before.

"Let me explain about what I said." I begged.

"Why don't you let me guess? I mean, you just love _games_, don't you, Monroe?" Chad asked with fake enthusiasm. And I'd be lying if I said that his words didn't hurt me at all. "Nico and Grady went to you yesterday since I was pissed at them for letting their stupid horse crap all over me. They asked you for a favor, and you, being the sweet and positively annoying girl you are, said yes to their favor. Oh -- and this is the best part --their favor was to _ask me out _so I could put a hold on my threats. To play with my feelings. Tell me if I'm wrong."

I looked down at my shoes in shame, my bangs falling across my eyes. "No. You got the story straight so far." I managed to mumble.

"Yeah. So I was basically a 'fake' date. Only this time, you're the one faking everything." Chad scoffed.

"But you don't understand! I wasn't faking anything--"

"Just stop lying, Sonny." Chad interrupted, but instead of his voice mocking and cruel, he sounded desperate and completely wounded. "You can just drop the whole thing. I'll let the whole horse thing go, and I won't go to Mr. Condor about it. I promise I won't get your dumb friends in trouble…just…please just stop pretending that you like me."

With that Chad left me again with no words to say. I merely stared at him as we walked away back to his studio, the sound of his footsteps engulfing the entire room.

I tried to speak, to make him turn around, to fix everything. I really did.

But I was just couldn't tell him I wasn't pretending at all.

--

[Chad's POV]

I heard footsteps and looked up, only to meet eyes with two people I seriously did not want to talk to right now.

"What do you want?" I sneered. "It better be something important because I am in no mood for your foolery."

Rico and Brady -- wait, that's not their names. Oh whatever, it's similar enough. The loser in the hat and the other weirdo who has probably never kissed a girl looked at each other uncomfortably before staring back at me. They gave me that look that said they didn't want to tell me the truth, let alone tell me anything at all. I returned it with one that said, 'Go Away.'

"We just needed to tell you something…that includes Sonny." Hat guy told me.

My eyes couldn't help but soften as much as I wanted to continue on with my furious look.

Well, this honestly sucks. Even after all the unbearable pain and misery Sonny has just put me through, that girl still manages to make me weak and act like putty. Why, oh why, must she hold such affecting power over me? The girl is a backstabbing liar, and yet I still see some innocent angel. What. The. Hell.

"And why should I care about Monroe?" I asked, grabbing a magazine and reading it to give Sonny's cast mates the impression that I could care less.

But really: I couldn't.

"Well first of all she's crying--" Virgin-lipped weirdo began.

"Wait. She's _crying_?" I demanded for a repeat.

No, no, no. Monroe could not be shedding tears. That's…simply impossible! Sonny Monroe does not do tears, she just doesn't! She's supposed to be all smiles and whatnot. No tears allowed!

"Yeah, and she's crying over you." Weirdo continued.

[Insert very inappropriate word here that wouldn't be suitable for children under the age of ten. Pfft yeah. It's just THAT bad.]

No! Sonny's not supposed to be _that_ girl! She's not supposed to be the ex-girlfriend who cries hopelessly for weeks just because I broke up with her! No, she's not even supposed to be crying, damn it! Gah. Why did you have to go to my dressing room in the first place, Sonny?! Oh God -- and now here comes the guilt, ready to trip me into the next century. Thanks, Monroe. Now I feel bad about this.

"S-she's crying? Over me?" I whispered incredulously, my magazine long forgotten on the floor. (I probably dropped it during my state of shock.)

"Dude, she's bawlin' her eyes out as we speak." Rico, Tico, Chamico, what's-his-face replied.

"I know what we did was wrong. We shouldn't have asked Sonny to take you out no matter how mad you were at us." The blonde one muttered. "But she did it just because."

"Yeah, she was a good friend to us. She took you out on a date no matter how much you irritated her." What's-his-face continued on. (Thanks, guys, because this makes me feel better, how?) "But I know that she wasn't pretending anything with you, if, ya know, anything happened between you two."

"Pfft, yeah. Because if she was pretending then she wouldn't be crying right now in her dressing room." The other one added stupidly. His friend gave him a look, elbowing him in the shoulder.

I sighed. "Leave me alone, guys." I ordered, glancing at my door for a split-second before facing the other way so that Dumb and Dumber weren't in my sight anymore.

I could practically see their frowns of disappointment.

"Poor Sonny." I heard one say.

"It's okay, G. We tried our best." The other replied quietly. "I guess our best wasn't enough."

I stared at my vanity mirror on the wall into my eyes.

Sonny. Oh Sonny. Why must it be _you_?

--

[Sonny's POV]

Okay, I've called myself pathetic many times before in the past, but I think that this is my best. Or worst. However you'd like to interpret my upsetting state.

I was locked inside my dressing room again, sitting on the couch while swirling a plastic spoon around the cup of frozen yogurt. My scene wasn't being shot, thank God, Tawni promised to give me some alone time, Zora swore she wouldn't listen to me whine helplessly to myself in the vents, and Nico and Grady were with Marshal. It was just me, myself, and this bowl of frozen yogurt.

Did you know that if you look up the definition for pathetic, you'll see the name Sonny Monroe right next to it?

If only I had a TV in here…

Wow. That would be the best moment in my life. (Isn't sarcasm just amazing?)

I sniffled and blew my nose before grabbing another tissue to wipe my continuously watering eyes. Gah. If I could just stop crying, at least tearing up, then maybe I could get on with the day and on with my life. But so far, it's been almost an hour and my tear ducts won't give it a rest.

The card that Tawni's boyfriend gave her caught my eye. It was the perfect example of a cliché. Red heart with pink frame around it, phrases like, 'I love you!' covering it entirely. Oh, and Derek even had the guts to call her Baby. How romantic.

"I hate you, Valentine's Day. I'm sure you knew that already." I told the card that I suddenly had the strongest urge to rip up. "I hate you so much that I literally want to write to the president and demand to remove Valentine's Day from the calendar. Why are you even a holiday? Aren't you supposed to model a Saint for God's sake? Why are you ruining my life?!" I scolded it.

I'm yelling at an inanimate object.

Go me.

"You know, I almost hate you as much as I hate--"

"Talking to yourself again, Monroe?"

I turned to see Chad in his full glory, leaning against the doorframe with his signature smirk. How he managed to get in while the door was locked, I will never know.

I simply gaped at him for a moment, the fact that he was standing in front of me, _smiling_, still registering in my head. Then I immediately wiped my tears and the snot from my nose with the sleeve of my shirt, knowing that I look even worse than a mess.

"Sorry to interrupt. I just had something important to tell you." Chad chuckled. He sat next to me on the couch, his reckless and fun-loving demeanor lessening as he stared into my eyes. "God, I can't believe you're crying." He stated bluntly as he wiped away the tears that somehow made their way down my cheeks with his thumbs.

"Neither could I." I spoke up, my voice scratchy and hoarse. "Why are you here, Chad?" I whispered, confused.

"What? You don't want me here? Normally people would be thrilled to have the Chad Dylan Cooper in their presence." He said cockily.

Whiplash much? What are you -- bipolar? Jeez, Chad. Way to make a girl confused.

I didn't respond to Chad's stuck-up statement; instead I just stared at him, not knowing _how _to reply back to that. Usually, this would be the time where I'd be shooting out comebacks, and we'd end up going back and forth. Usually, I don't shut up for this long. But here's one thing that remained: Chad is still smiling at me. Like he's not mad. Or hurt. Or anything in between.

"So I found out a little bit more about our date yesterday." He started.

Gah. Why must we talk about this?!

"Oh." Was all I could muster up. I stared down at my lap, unable to look him directly into the eye.

"And I found out that I _was _right. You're sooo in love with me." Chad mocked into my ear.

I looked up instantaneously. "Huh?!" I shrieked.

"You love me, Monroe. I mean, why else would you be crying over me if you didn't love me? Psh."

My jaw dropped as I gave Chad the most incredulous look ever. Chad smirked at me in return, pulling me closer towards him with his arm. "But it's okay. All girls can't help falling for Chad Dylan Cooper." He stated confidently into my ear before pressing a gentle kiss against my temple.

I could feel my cheeks reddening as the confusion continued to build up walls. "Okay, whoa, whoa. You have no right to kiss me after what just happened here!" I screeched, pulling away from him.

"Of course I have the right. I'm--"

"Chad Dylan Cooper. Yes, Chad, we all unfortunately know."

"Well, I was going to say… your boyfriend -- if you want me to be your boyfriend."

"B-but… WHAT?!" I hollered.

"Okay, Sonny, there's no need to deafen me with your fangirl scream." Chad whined as he rubbed his ear.

"You basically told me off an hour ago, and now you're saying you want to date me?" I gasped.

Chad merely nodded sheepishly, that boyish grin on his face.

Half of me wanted to verbally abuse him with murderous threats while the other half of me wanted oh so desperately to leap in his arms, find that stupid Hollywood sunset and that horse Nico and Grady brought yesterday so we could literally 'ride off into the sunset.'

"I realized that I was wrong to say the things I said to you. I didn't give you the chance to explain yourself, and I'm sorry about that. Like, yeah, you used me to help your idiotic friends. But, at least you weren't faking those feelings for me, faking that kiss…right?" Chad looked at me hopefully, his blue eyes shimmering, shining, glossing, and sparkling _again_.

Those eyes of his will be the death of me, I swear.

"Chad Dylan Cooper," I glared at him, "you are the most confusing, moody, conceited, jerkiest, self-centered, guy I've ever met. And you also deserved to have sand shoved down into your boxers. And to be drowned in the Pacific Ocean too."

"Hey, you're not perfect either--"

I cut Chad off with a kiss on the cheek, silencing him immediately.

"And yet I still like you much more than I should." I smiled.

Chad gave me the cheesiest grin that made the butterflies in my stomach erupt. I was _giggling _here for God's sake. One time was enough, a second I could live without.

Chad smile turned into that familiar smirk of his. "So,oh dear _playmate _of mine, where would you like to go to dinner tonight?" Chad asked.

"Playmate? You still won't let the whole play date thing go?" I asked with my eyebrows raised.

Chad laughed and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. "Not in this lifetime, Monroe."

And oddly, I was fine with that.

* * *

**A/N: **Yay! It's finally done! Your sweet reviews made me smile as always. You guys are simply AWESOME :D Without you guys, I wouldn't even be writing in the first place. And trust me, I'm not exaggerating. I know this was a short, fast-ish chapter. Sorry, it wasn't supposed to be like that. But we all clearly know that Chad couldn't be able to stay mad at Sonny for that long, right? I hope you still enjoyed it though! OH! And did you guys watch the new SWAC promo?! Who's excited for March 14th???!!!

And last but definitely not least, I'd like to dedicate this story to my amazing (HAHA!) friend Hayley! Or **mindless scribbles**. (Go ahead and love her fics. She won't mind ;D) Thank you for being an amazing friend :] (There's that word again!)


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